Bending-machine



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. J. PLEOKER. BENDING MACHINE.

No. 518,765. Patented Apr. 24, 1894.

2 +u h S P t e e h s 2 R E K G E L D J W (No Model.)

BENDING MACHINE.

No. 518,765. Patented Apr-24, 1894.

,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. PLECKER, or PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

BENDING-MAC HINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 518,765, dated April24, 1894. Application filed November 29,1893- Serial No. 492,356. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be' it known that 1, WILLIAM J. PLECKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain. new and useful Improvements in Bending-Machines; and Ido herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvementsin mechanisms for bending metallicplates, and has for its object the providing of a machine by means ofwhich eaves troughs, spouting, conductor pipes, and other similararticles can be easily and expeditiously made.

The invention therefore consists, among other things, in the peculiarco-relating of the rolls to each other. These rolls are so mounted thattwo or more may be bodily and positively moved rapidly relatively to theother roll or rolls. Preferably there are supplementaryadjusting deviceswhich may be used independently of the mechanism by which the rolls arepositively moved. Then one or moreof the rolls is mounted in such way asto be capable of movement toward and from the path of the material when'moving more or less horizontally past the other roll or rolls, as willbe hereinafter described. With this roll or rolls there may be combinedalso means for adjusting it supplemental to the devices for moving it.

The invention also consists in combining with the forming rolls, andguide roll or rolls,

anti-friction or supplemental supportingdevices for preventing thespringing or bending of the rolls, which anti-friction or supportingdevices are so related to the rolls as to be meved with said rolls, andpreserve the same mutual relations, and also relieve the rolls from thelateral strain which they exsists in other features of construction andarrangement which will be fully understood from the description below,in connection with the drawings.

In. the drawings, Figure 1 shows an improved bending machine inperspective. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation. Fig. 4 is a section on line And the invention further con w-wof Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is apartial section on the line y-y Fig. 3. Fig. 6shows a slightly modified form of support for the stationary roll.

Referring to the drawings, I will describe one form in which theinvention may be embodied, for it will be understood that I do not limitmyself to exactly the details of construction and arrangement which areherein set forth. The machine is shown as having side standards orframes A-A, each standard having a suitable base or support A A, andconnected by cross sills or bars if desired. In these standards aremounted the forming rolls B, B, the roll B, having a stationary bearing.The other forming roll B is mounted in bearing blocks-O which slide inguides or slots b in the standards A A, the rolls B and B each having alongitudinal extension upon which are mounted pinious D and E, meshingwith each other when the mechanism is ready to operate, there beingmeans for imparting power to said rolls, such as a pulley E mounted onthe extension of the roll B. The bearing blocks 0 C may be moved bodilyvertically and simultaneously by means of the following devices.

F isa rock shaft mounted in bearing blocks F F, and having a squaredprojecting end F to which may be fitted a crank or lever F for rockingit. Thiscrank is shown in dotted lines in Fig.1. 'Keyed to the shaft Fateach end is a short crank arm f, connected by a curved link f to asliding bar G to which is secured the bearing block 0 in which the rollB is mounted. Thus it will be seen that the roll may be bodily lifted byrocking the shaft F, which through crank arms f f, curved links f f andsliding bars 0, 0 slides the bearing blocks 0 O in the guides b b instandards AA simultaneously. The blocks F F themselves slidein guides orslots 1) b in the standards A, A, and are adjusted by means of screws GG and nuts G G. This arrangement of parts enables the roll B to beadjusted relatively to the roll B, and at the same time it may be movedtoward andfrom it quickly and easily without destroying the adjustment,for the sliding bars, the links, and

the crank arms are so co-relatedthat when the roll is lowered they'areon a-dead center and lock the roll in place. The guide roll B issimilarly mounted in sliding blocks 0 G which are moved by sliding barsC C curved links f f and crank arms f f the said crank arms being keyedto a second rock shaft F mounted in bearing blocks F F.

In bending plates of any thickness, I have found that the rolls areliable to bend and spring, and thereforeI combine with them devices forovercoming this bending and springing. These consist of anti-frictionrollers for rolls B, B and a support for roll B, all bearin g againstthe rolls where the greatest strain is experienced. These anti-frictionrollers are designated by H H, and are mounted in supports or bearings HH which are adjusted in a way to be described.

A is a curved standard having a base support A which extends from therear of the rolls to a pointin front thereof. Formed with the standard Ais a frame F, having vertical guides in which are mounted sliding blocksI I. These blocks serve as supplemental bearings for the rock shafts F,F, and are adjusted by screws 1 and nuts 1 similar to those at G and G.On the rock shafts F and F are keyed crank arms J J which are connectedby curved links J J and sliding bars J, J 5 with the hearings orsupports for the anti-friction rollers II, II. The crank arms J, J, andthe links J J are duplicates of those at f, f and f f respectively, andthus it will be seen that when the rolls-B, B are moved up or down byrocking the rock shafts F, F the anti-friction rollers always preservethe same relation to the said rolls, and are moved up and down withthem.

The support K for forming-roll B, (which roll is stationarily mountedand which therefore doesnot require that the support shall beadjustable,) consists of an arm or bar bolted or otherwise secured to anupward extension A cast or formed on the forward part of the basesupport A of standard A The said arm is curved as shown at is so as tofit the curvature of the roll, and is so placed as to receive thedownward and rearward thrust of the said roll. Instead of employingmerely a bar with a curved end, I may use anti-friction rollers similarto those above described.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The guide roll 13 being inthe position shown in full lines Fig. 4:, the blank L is placed as shownin said figure with its edge between the rolls B, and B, and then theroll B is moved down into position by means of the rock shaft F, thecrank arms f, the curved linksf', and the sliding bars 0, thustightlygripping the edge of blank. Then the roll B? is moved down into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4:, by means of the rock shaft1?, the sliding bars 0 the links f and crank arms f ,--the anti-frictionrollers, as said, always preserving the same relation to the said roll.Power being applied to the rolls B and B by means of the pinions D, E,and the pulley E the blank is carried through the rolls, and assumes theproper curvature.

The guide roll B is adjusted up ordown as is desired to make a curvegreater or less, according to the style of the trough that is to beturned out.

I am aware that sheet metal bending machines" have had forming rolls,whose ends could be separately and slowly moved relatively to the axesof the forming rolls. But such anarrangement was merely to provide anadjustment of a relatively permanent character; that is to say, toenable the operator to fix the guide roll in a desired position which itoccupied during a continuing series of operations. But it is impossiblewith such machines to take with rapidity the several steps constitutingeach bending operation, it being Well known that the inserting andnitial guiding of the metal sheet is frequently the cause of delay. Iovercome this by providing the guide roll in a carrier or holder(consisting in this case of the links, crank arms, rock shaft, 850.)which supports both ends of it uniformly and by which both ends can besimultaneously and rapidly moved relatively to the axes of the formingrolls, so that the operator at each bending operat on can readily andinstantly control its position. Moreover, it is frequently desirable topass through the machine, blanks which might have been previously curvedor shaped, in a cornice brake or other device. lleretofore, this hasbeen practically impossible, as in the machines with which I amacquainted, the operation of raising or lowering one of the formingrolls was one taking time, as each end of the roll has to be raised andlowered independently of the other. But by mounting the forming roll,(as well as the guide roll) in sliding boxes Which are movedsimultaneously by one mechanism, I can easily bend a blank upon whichahead or molding has been previously formed.

What I claim is- 1. In a bending machine, the combination with thestationary roll, of a movable roll mounted above said stationary roll,whereby the metal blank is fed etween said rolls, the bearings for saidmovable roll,means for ad justiiig said bearings, and means for movingsaid bearings vertically independently of said adjusting means,substantially as set forth.

2. In a bending machine, the combination with the stationarily mountedroll, of the movable roll mounted above said stationary roll, thebearings for said roll, means for adjusting saidbearings means forpositively moving said bearings simultaneously, and a lock for holdingsaid hearings in position against upward movement, substantially as setforth.

3. In a bending machine, thecombination withthe stationarily mountedroll, the movable roll, the bearings therefor, a rock shaft, meansconnecting said bearings with said shaft for moving said bearingspositively, and devices for adjusting said rock shaft relaconsiderableICC tively to said stationarily mounted roll substantially as set forth.

4. In a bending machine, the combination with the side frames orstandards, having.

therefor, the rock shaft, the means connect ing the rock shaft'with thesaid bearings for moving them positively, the bearings for the said rockshaft, and meansfor adjusting the said rock shaft bearings,substantially as set forth.

6. In a bending machine, the combination with the two opposing rolls B,B, abearing for each end of said roll B, anti-friction rollers toreceive the thrust of said roll B, and arranged intermediate of itsends, and means for simultaneously adjusting both of said bearings andsaid anti-friction rollers toward and from said roll B, substantially asset forth.

7. In a bending machine, the combination with the two forming rolls,anti-friction rollers arranged in proximity to one of said rollsintermediate of its ends, means for positively lifting said roll inparallelism with the other forming roll, means for lifting saidanti-friction rollers,and power devices connecting said means wherebythey may be simultaneously operated, substantially as set forth.

8. In a bending machine the combination with the stationarily mountedroll, of the movable roll having bearings at each end, devices foradjusting said bearings independently of each other, anti-frictiondevices arranged to bear against said movable roll intermediate of itsends, and means independent of the adjusting devices for moving saidmovable roll and said anti friction devices toward and from thestationarily mounted roll whereby the same relative adjustment of therolls may be preserved though they may be separated temporarily,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

9. In a bending machine, thecombina-tion with the opposing rolls, one ofsaid rolls hav- -1ng movable bearings and the anti -friction rollers forthe last said roll, of the rock shaft,

the series of crank arms on said rock shaft and the series of linksconnecting said crank I arms with said bearings and said frictionrollers respectively, whereby they may be all moved simultaneously,forth.

-1 In a sheet metal bending machine, the

substantially as set combination with the two forming rolls, of theguide roll mounted in front of the rolls, the guides in planes parallelto the plane of the axes of the two rolls, thebearings for the guideroll sliding in the said guides, means for positivelyliftingthe saidbearings entirely independently of the forming rolls, and a lock to holdsaid bearings against vertical movement when in position, substantiallyas set forth;

11. In a sheet metal bending machine, the combination with aformingroll, of an opposing forming roll, and a guide roll, each of the lastsaid rolls being supported adj ustably in a carrier or support adaptedto move simultaneously and uniformly both ends of the roll relative tothe axes of the first aforesaid forming roll, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. PLEOKER.

